Sermon #1448[1]
Title: Christ Pre-eminent in the Trinity
Text: Colossians
1:18
Subject: Christ’s Pre-eminence
Date: Sunday Morning --
Tape
# W-19b
Introduction:
Colossians 1:18-20 "And he is the head of the
body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in
all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the
Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20 And, having made
peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or
things in heaven."
Our text is in verse 18 -- "And he is the head of the body, the
church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things he might have the preeminence." Roll those words over in your heart. May God the Holy Spirit inscribe
them this upon our hearts and minds. -- "that in all things he might have the
preeminence."
I have been preaching to you for the past
several weeks about the pre-eminence of Christ. Today I want to show you the
pre-eminence of Christ in the Holy Trinity. The title of my message is Christ
Pre-eminent in the Trinity. The
Holy Spirit here tells us that it is the will, the pleasure, the determination,
and the delight of the Father’s heart, and of triune God, “that in all things he (the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-man, our
Mediator) might have the preeminence."
I want to show you from the Scriptures that...
Proposition: God has so
highly exalted, honored, and magnified his Son that the only way any creature
can exalt, honor, and magnify the triune God is by exalting, honoring, and
magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ.
So determined is the eternal, triune God to
make Christ pre-eminent in all things that God cannot be revealed to or known
by men except as he is revealed and known in Christ. The only way God makes
himself known is through his Son. And the only way God deals with men is
through his Son.
John
We
are Trinitarians. We worship the
one true and living God in the trinity, or tri-unity, of his sacred Persons:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There are three distinct and separate
Persons within the Godhead. Yet these three divine Persons are one God. The
Father is God. The Son is God. And the Holy Spirit is God. They are three
distinct Persons. Yet they are one God. There is no way to explain, or even
adequately illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity in human terms. It is purely
a matter of revelation. We believe it simply because it is plainly revealed in
Holy Scripture.
1 John 5:7 "For there are
three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one."
Not only is the doctrine plainly stated in
the Word of God, it is demonstrated numerous times as well.
·
At the Baptism
of Christ - "And Jesus, when he
was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17).
·
In the Baptismal
Name - "Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).
·
The Lord’s
Instruction - "If ye love me, keep
my commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John
14:15-17).
All true believers are Trinitarians. Those
who deny this doctrine are not Christians, but deniers of Christianity.
Christianity is in its essence belief of and in the Triune God. Yet, as Tobias
Crisp stated three hundred years ago, “This matter is not to be
pried into by human wit; for this of all the mysteries in Scripture, is the
pure object of mere faith.”
Be sure you understand what I have said. We
are Trinitarians. But God is Spirit (John
John 1:1-3 "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with
God. (3) All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made."
John
1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
We know God, worship God, and serve God
only as we know, worship, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God. And there is no other God in this world but
what Jesus Christ himself is. Thomas called the man Christ Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John
“You must know that you are never to separate
in your thoughts God from Christ. Always as you look upon Christ, so look upon
God; or as you look upon God, look upon him no otherwise than as he is in
Christ, not as if there were another God besides what Christ is; for there is
no such thing.”
-- Tobias
Crisp
Jesus Christ is God our Savior. We know no
God but him. We worship no God but him. We serve no God but him. I want to be
sure that you understand the teaching of Holy Scripture in this regard. So give
me your careful attention as I show you five things from the
Scriptures. Some of these things will be a little repetitious. I am not getting
senile. My repetition is deliberate. I want you to understand the Scriptures.
The Holy, Triune God has given Christ the pre-eminence in all things.
I.
Revelation -- The triune God reveals
himself to sinners only in Christ. -- “That in all things he might have the
preeminence."
We have read the
Bible without profit to our souls and without any spiritual understanding, if
we do not see that according to this Book everything God says to, does for,
requires of, and gives to sinners is in Christ.
John
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me."
Matthew 17:5 "While he yet
spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the
cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye
him."
Christ
is the Word of God, the Revelation of God. He is the living Word of whom
the written Word speaks. All that we know of God is Christ. He is the
brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his Person. Jesus
Christ is God incarnate, God in human flesh. We know the Father and the Spirit
only as we know the incarnate Son. Christ
is the Word by whom God speaks and makes himself known.
·
The First Word.
·
The Only Word.
·
The Last Word.
Hebrews 1:1-3 "God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, (2) Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high."
II.
Operation -- As God is
revealed only in Christ, so too, the
only way God works is through his Son. -- “That in all things he
might have the preeminence."
We know, of course, that Christ is God’s
Salvation. God saves sinners only in Christ, by Christ, upon the merits of
Christ, and for Christ’s sake. I have tried to show you that in all that I have
preached and written in the, and particularly in the messages I have preached
to you here the past few weeks. I will speak about this matter a little more in
a few minutes. But, for now, I want you to see that the triune God never does anything except through the mediation of
his Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Everything God ever has done, is doing, or ever shall do is by Christ
and for Christ. In everything Christ is the Mediator. He is the Medium
and Means of the operations of the triune Godhead.
A.
The covenant of
grace by which our salvation was accomplished and secured from eternity was
made with Christ our Surety.
Psalms 89:3-4, 19-37
"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my
servant, (4) Thy seed will I establish
for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. _________ (19) "Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst,
I have laid help upon one that is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen out of the
people. (20) I have found David my
servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: (21) With whom my hand shall be
established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. (22) The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. (23) And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague
them that hate him. (24) But my
faithfulness and my mercy shall be with
him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. (25) I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in
the rivers. (26) He shall cry unto
me, Thou art my father, my God, and
the rock of my salvation. (27) Also I
will make him my firstborn, higher
than the kings of the earth. (28) My mercy will I keep for him
for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. (29) His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as
the days of heaven. (30) If his
children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; (31) If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; (32) Then will I visit their
transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. (33) Nevertheless my lovingkindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. (34) My covenant will I not break, nor
alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
(35) Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. (36) His
seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. (37) It shall be established for ever
as the moon, and as a faithful
witness in heaven. Selah."
Before the world began God made a
covenant of redemption, a solemn compact of mercy and grace, in which he
arranged, decreed, and secured the salvation of his elect. It was a covenant
made for us. We are the beneficiaries of it. But it was a covenant made with
Christ our Surety (Heb.
2
Samuel 23:5 "Although my
house be not so with God; yet he hath
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is
all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he make it not to
grow."
2
Timothy 1:9-10 "Who hath saved
us, and called us with an holy
calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, (10) But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"
B.
God created the
world and all things in it by Christ and for Christ.
Genesis
1:1-3 "In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth. (2)
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the
face of the waters. (3) And God said,
Let there be light: and there was light."
John
1:1-3 "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with
God. (3) All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Hebrews
1:1-3 "God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, (2) Hath in these last days
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his
person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by
himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on
high;"
Colossians
1:14-16 "In whom we have
redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins: (15) Who is the
image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things
created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or
dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and
for him:"
When Paul says
that Christ is “the firstborn of every creature,” he is simply declaring
that Christ is the One from whom
creation was born. All things sprang from him. He is the original cause
of all things. To put it in the words of Christ himself, Jesus Christ is “the
beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14).
C.
God’s sovereign,
providential rule of the universe is executed by the Lord Jesus Christ, our
Savior.
Daniel
7:13-14 "I saw in the night
visions, and, behold, one like the
Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and
they brought him near before him. (14) And
there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people,
nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his
kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed."
John
17:2 "As thou hast
given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as
thou hast given him."
Now listen carefully. In time, after
our Lord’s obedience to and fulfillment of his Father’s will as a man, Christ
took his place of dominion as a man. There is a Man in glory. A Man sits today
upon the throne of grace. And that Man is Christ, the Man who died for our sins
at
·
Christ preserved the world from judgment when Adam sinned
in the garden.
·
Christ preserves the world from judgment today, though men
and women everywhere live in rebellion to God.
·
Christ preserves this world from judgment for the salvation
of his elect.
2
Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not
slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance."
2
Peter 3:15 Let us "account that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him
hath written unto you;"
III.
Restitution -- God deals with men only in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ, his dear Son. -- “That in all
things he might have the preeminence."
John
10:9 "I am the door:
by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture."
John
14:6 "Jesus saith unto
him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me."
Ephesians
Hebrews
Hebrews
Our Savior says,
“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The fact is, God will not
speak to nor will he be spoken to by any man apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
A.
The whole of our
salvation is in Christ.
1
Corinthians 1:30-31 "But of him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption: (31) That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
B.
God will not
receive any worship, prayer, praise, sacrifice, or service offered to him by
men except through the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1
Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
Everything done
for God and offered to God must be done and offered in the name of Christ, with
the conscious realization that we have no access to or acceptance with the
eternal God but by Christ.
1.
We believe in his name.
2.
We worship in his name.
3.
We pray in his name.
4.
We gather in his name.
5.
We serve in his name.
C.
All the
blessings of grace and glory are freely bestowed upon sinners by God for
Christ’s sake alone.
Ephesians
1:3-14 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of
the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (5) Having predestinated us unto the
adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, (6) To the praise of the
glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (7) In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (8) Wherein he hath abounded toward us
in all wisdom and prudence; (9) Having
made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he hath purposed in himself: (10) That
in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one
all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will: (12) That we
should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (13) In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of
truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye
were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Ephesians
D.
All the comfort,
instruction, and direction of God the Holy Spirit comes to sinners through the
Lord Jesus Christ.
John
In accordance
with the disposition of the covenant of grace the Holy Spirit is Christ’s agent
in this world, just as he was the Father’s agent in this world. He does nothing
of himself, speaks nothing of himself, and receives nothing to himself. It is
the Spirit’s delight to do Christ’s bidding in this world, even as it has been
the Son’s delight to do his Father’s bidding. Christ is the Fountain of grace.
The Holy Spirit is the channel through whom all the waters of grace flow to us
from the Fountain.
Note: The gifts of the
Spirit are actually the gifts of Christ bestowed upon his church by the Spirit
for the glory of Christ, for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ, and for
the increase and spiritual welfare of the body of Christ. A comparison of
Scripture with Scripture will show this plainly.
1
Corinthians
Ephesians
4:7-12 "But unto every
one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (8) Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men. (9) (Now that he
ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth? (10) He that descended is
the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all
things.) (11) And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; (12) For the perfecting of
the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ:"
The Holy Spirit is not in competition
with Christ. He has come to glorify Christ. Everywhere today
we hear men saying, “This is the age of the Holy Spirit.” They talk about the
anointing of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit, being slain in the Spirit,
the gifts of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit,
and the works of the Spirit, and say very little about the Person, work, and
glory of Christ.
Hear me well. Those who preach the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the
Holy Spirit, those who tell you to seek the Spirit, those who focus your
attention on the Holy Spirit do not have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
speaks only of Christ. And those who have the Spirit of Christ speak of Christ.
That man who preaches by the Spirit of God preaches Christ only, Christ alone,
and Christ always.
Let no one misunderstand me. Let us reverence the Holy Spirit, worship the Spirit, and
honor the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God. But the only way to reverence the
Spirit is to reverence Christ. The only way to worship the Spirit is to worship
Christ. The only way to honor the Spirit is to honor Christ.
·
To have the anointing
of the Spirit is to have Christ.
·
To be baptized
in the Spirit is to be baptized into Christ.
·
To have the gifts
of the Spirit is to have the covenant blessings of God’s grace in Christ.
·
To have the filling
of the Spirit is to have Christ in you.
·
To have the power
of the Spirit is to have the power of Christ.
·
To have the presence
of the Spirit is to have the presence of Christ.
·
To have the work of
the Spirit is to have Christ formed in you.
·
To walk in the
Spirit is to walk in Christ, with Christ, toward Christ, and for Christ by
faith in Christ.
This is not the age of the Spirit. This is the age of the
Son. This is the age of Christ! This is the day of grace, the gospel
day, the day of Christ. It began when the Sun of Righteousness arose from the
grave with healing under his wings!
E.
When this world
has been folded up like a vesture, when time shall be no more and all men shall
stand before God at the bar of judgment, even then God will still deal with men
only by his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Judge who
will sit upon the great white throne in that great day will be the God-man, our
Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John
5:21-22 "For as the
Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them;
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
(22) For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son."
Acts
17:31 "Because he hath
appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from
the dead."
Romans
14:10-12 "But why dost
thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought
thy brother? for we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ. (11) For it
is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee
shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every
one of us shall give account of himself to God."
2
Corinthians 5:10-11 "For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. (11) Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;
but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences."
Let men mock as
they will. Try to put it out of your mind if you dare. But I am here to assure
you that one day soon you must meet Jesus Christ your God face to face in
judgment.
Hebrews
Revelation 20:11-12 "And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there
was found no place for them. (12) And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were
written in the books, according to their works."
·
There is a resurrection day coming.
·
There is a reckoning day coming.
·
There is a retribution day coming. In that day every man
shall receive exactly his due reward. Every one of us will get exactly what is
coming to us according to the record books of divine justice.
Revelation
Revelation
22:10-12 "And he saith
unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at
hand. (11) He that is unjust, let him
be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be
filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that
is holy, let him be holy still. (12) And,
behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with
me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
IV.
Exaltation -- Throughout the endless ages of
eternity, according to the wise and holy decree of the triune God, the Lord
Jesus Christ will have the pre-eminence in all things.
This is God’s
purpose. And it shall be done. “That in all things he
might have the preeminence."
A.
When all
creation is at last made his footstool, when all creatures at last bow to Jesus
Christ, as they shall, God will be glorified in the pre-eminence of his dear
Son.
Ephesians
1:10 "That in the
dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
Philippians
2:9-11 "Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven,
and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
Colossians
1:20 "And, having made
peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven."
1
Corinthians 15:25-28 "For he must
reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death. (27) For he hath put all things under
his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted,
which did put all things under him. (28) And
when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be
subject unto him that put all things under him, that
God may be all in all."
When the God-man
has at last fulfilled his last engagement as the Surety of the covenant, he
will present the entire universe to his Father, and in all things, in all the universe God will be glorified. God will be all in
all as the enthroned Christ reigns forever and ever in the splendor of his
righteousness and glory with all his elect glorified with him as the reward of
his labor!
What the sun is
to our solar system, Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, is to heaven and
eternity. He is the Center of heaven, the Light of heaven, the life of heaven,
the Strength of heaven, and the Joy of heaven. Withdraw the sun from our solar
system and everything would be darkness, destruction, and death. And if you
could withdraw Christ from heaven, heaven itself would be hell; for it would be
darkness, destruction, and death forever without God!
B.
In heaven’s glory Christ is and ever shall
be pre-eminent because for all eternity -- “Christ is all!”
Revelation
4:10-11 "The four and
twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that
liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for
thy pleasure they are and were created."
Revelation
5:9-13 "And they sung a
new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall
reign on the earth. (11) And I
beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the
beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten
thousand, and thousands of thousands;
(12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing. (13) And every creature
which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in
the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be
unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and
ever."
·
Christ alone shall be our Reward.
·
Christ alone shall be our Joy.
·
Christ alone shall be our Peace.
·
Christ alone shall be our Love.
·
Christ alone shall be our Vision.
·
Christ alone shall receive our Praise.
This is the
ultimate end for which God said in the beginning, “Let there be light.” So “that in all things he (the Lord Jesus Christ) might
have the preeminence."
Now I am calling
men and women to honor God. I am calling you to honor God. You will either
honor God or you will perish forever in hell under the wrath of God. So let me
conclude this message by showing you one last thing.
V.
Application -- The only way you and I can
honor the infinite, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, holy Lord God is to honor
his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
John
5:23-24 "That all men should honour the Son, even as they
honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which
hath sent him. (24) Verily, verily, I
say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life."
Let me show you five
ways in which you and I can honor the Lord Jesus Christ.
A.
When I acknowledge
my sin and my need of Christ as my Savior, I honor Christ.
Psalms
51:1-5 " Have mercy upon me,
O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
(2) Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my
transgressions: and my sin is ever
before me. (4) Against thee, thee
only, have I sinned, and done this evil
in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me."
1
John 1:7-10 "But if we walk
in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (10) If we say that
we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
B.
When I trust
Christ as my Representative and Substitute, I honor Christ.
John
C.
When I bow to
Christ as my rightful, sovereign Lord and surrender myself to his rule, I honor
Christ.
Matthew
10:36-39 "And a man's foes
shall be they of his own household. (37) He that loveth father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than
me is not worthy of me. (38) And he
that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. (39) He that findeth his life shall
lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."
D.
When I confess
Christ before men in the waters of baptism, at the Lord’s Table, and by
personal witness, I honor Christ.
Matthew
10:32-33 "Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father
which is in heaven. (33) But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
is in heaven."
E.
When I preach
Christ, I honor Christ.
Matthew
1
Corinthians 1:21-23 "For after that
in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. (22) For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: (23) But we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;"
Application: As it is the
purpose, will, and pleasure of the triune God “that in all things the Lord
Jesus Christ might have the preeminence," so let it be our purpose,
will, and pleasure.
1.
Let us each devote ourselves to his pre-eminence.
2.
Let us devote ourselves as a church to his pre-eminence.
3.
May God bring you this day by his grace into harmony with
himself, granting you that life and faith in Christ which he alone can give,
which will cause you to bow to him and give him honor and pre-eminence as your
Lord and Savior.
4.
In all things, let us lift up, exalt, and magnify Christ.
John
God help us to
lift him up “that in all things he
might have the preeminence!” Amen.
[1] Sermon
#1248 preached at Danville Sunday Morning --
[1]